In a small bowl, combine the corn syrup and a few drops on a toothpick of the green paste food coloring. Dip rims of the chilled glasses into the mixture, then turn glasses upright, allowing mixture to slightly run down the sides of the glasses. Freeze until firm.

In a pitcher, combine the pineapple juice, grape juice and yellow food coloring. Refrigerate until chilled.

When ready to serve, stir the club soda into the juice mixture and into prepared glasses.

For the rolls: In a large bowl combine 2½ cups of the flour, sugar, lemon zest, salt and yeast; mix well.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, pumpkin and butter until hot (120°F to 130°F). Add the hot mixture to the flour mixture and blend at low speed until moistened; scrape bowl.

Stir in 3-3½ cups of additional flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

On a floured surface, knead in remaining flour (plus additional if needed) until dough is smooth and elastic but not dry, about 6-10 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turn and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Grease a 15”x10”x1” pan.

For the topping/filling: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Cut in the butter, using a fork or pastry blender, until mixture is crumbly.

Punch dough down several times to remove air bubbles. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 20”x15” rectangle.

Spoon 2½ cups of the topping/filling evenly over dough; sprinkle with nuts.

Starting with 20” side, roll up tightly; press edges to seal. Cut into 20 slices and place, cut side down in prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

For the Tangy Chili Sauce: In a small saucepan combine the cranberry sauce and chili sauce. Heat over low heat, stirring until combined and thoroughly heated.

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce: In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, pineapple juice, vinegar and orange juice; mix well. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly.

Halloween Pumpkin Possibilities: Pumpkin Primer

Halloween Pumpkin Possibilities: Pumpkin Primer

Turn your pumpkin into the star of the show with these tips on getting the most out of your gourd!

1. The Seeds:

Once you’ve removed all seeds from your pumpkin, give them a good swish in cold water to remove the stringy pulp, then let the seeds dry on a clean dish towel. (An extra step that ensures even roasting: First boil the cleaned, drained seeds in salty water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse again.) Once ready for roasting, consider the seeds a blank canvas. Drizzle the seeds with oil (canola or other flavorless for the Sweet, olive oil for Savory) on a baking sheet, then toss with seasonings and roast at 325°F for 20-25 minutes (start checking the sweet versions at 15 minutes) or until lightly golden and fragrant. Ideas for seasoning include:

Savory:

Curry – Sprinkle with a mixture of curry powder, ground turmeric and ground cumin along with a touch of salt.

Bacon – Cut a few strips of bacon into smaller pieces and lay over seeds. Roast as directed. When seeds are roasted and bacon is fully cooked, crumble bacon over seeds, stirring to mix well.

Taco-Lime – Sprinkle with taco seasoning (an envelope of premixed seasoning works well, or combine your own blend of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano and a bit of salt), then drizzle with lime juice. Toss to mix before roasting.

2. The Party:

Why limit your Halloween celebration to one day? Extend your Halloween festivities by bringing friends together a week before the big day for a Jack-o-Lantern Carving Party.

Pick a day or evening that works for those on your guest lists, then send out pumpkin-shaped invites. Ask guests to bring their perfect pumpkin and let them know you’ll have all they need to transform it into a Halloween-worthy jack-o-lantern.

Tools of the trade.

Lay a stack of newspaper out over your work surface.

Pencils and markers will allow guests to trace their designs before cutting. You can also offer stencils, if you’d like.

Sharp knives. Dull knives are harder to work with and can more easily cause injury. (That said, keeping a stash of Band-Aids and a first-aid kit close by is also a good idea.)

Small votive candles (battery-operated or the traditional wick candle) for the carved jack-o-lanterns.

Bowls for the seeds, which you can rinse, dry and season once jack-o-lanterns are carved.

Music - Halloween-themed songs are easy to find in any online cloud library. Some favorites:

Post-Candy Collection: The Case Study

Post-Candy Collection: The Case Study

All parents can understand the uncertainty when it comes to what happens with the candy their kids bring home Halloween eve. From hoarding to gobbling, there are several ways your kids will put their Halloween bounty to use.

Let’s look at different candy philosophies shared by trick-or-treaters and their parents.

All kids will likely dig into their stash the moment they return from trick-or-treating. Some will organize different types (chocolate, hard candies, fruit-flavored, etc.) neatly in a container such as a muffin pan and some not so much. But how they handle the candy after that first night can be categorized in one of five ways.

Hoarder: These kids will separate their candy into types, then store them in a secret spot. They’ll pace themselves with these sweets, allowing a treat or two a day. They’re unlikely to share though would be happy to trade a less-liked candy for something they really love. Their candy will last months.

Sharer: These are the kids that you want around if you love candy as they are happy to share their stash. They may or may not organize it neatly, but will generously give from their collection to friends and family as they get more joy from sharing than they would the candy itself.

Trader: The ultimate in childhood negotiation, Halloween candy trading is a great way to unload what isn’t liked in exchange for what is. The first step for these kids is making piles of “keeps,” “don’t keep” and “maybes.” When the other traders have similar piles, the deal-making begins.

Donator: With the growing number of dentists and school programs doing “candy buy-backs” it makes sense to most kids to at least donate the candies they don’t enjoy. If the candy can be traded in for money or if a school class is rewarded for having the most donations, the incentive to donate any candy may become greater than the incentive to keep. These kids will still enjoy some of their haul, but sacrifice a more permanent stash by donating it to a worthy cause.

Gobbler: Limits may need to be set with this kid as he or she is intent on eating as much as possible that first night. Organizing may fall by the wayside and gobblers are less likely to share their candy, even by way of trading or donating. Kids may hoard a favorite candy and be willing to share, trade or donate others. Gobbling does have the advantage of keeping the candy craze short-lived.

Trick or Treat Night Tips

Trick or Treat Night Tips

The kids have been looking forward to Halloween for months and their night is finally here. Make the most of the evening by planning a play-by-play.

Set a schedule for the healthy after-school snack, trick-or-treating trip, bedtime routine and everything in between. You can make it official by writing it up on a chalkboard or notepad or just keep the general timeline in mind as you enjoy your Halloween Eve./p>

First things first—that after-school snack. Fresh veggies and hummus keep good nutrition front and center. Other options include pear slices and cheese cubes or yogurt sprinkled with a bit of granola.

Encourage your kids to get any homework out of the way, so they can enjoy their evening without school work hanging over their heads.

Be sure the costumes are ready to go before sitting down to supper. Enjoy a fun Halloween-themed meal, using orange and black dinnerware (paper plates are fine tonight!) and napkins. Sprinkle orange and black confetti over the table if you don’t mind the clean-up.

Costume time! Face paint goes on now, along with that costume. Locate any glow sticks they’ll be carrying or double check the batteries if they are using a flashlight.

Younger kids will want to start trick-or-treating immediately after supper. Older kids can hand out candy until they head out themselves. When you’re buying candy, consider also purchasing pet treats for any four-legged friends that venture out with their trick-or-treating companions.

Get the kids home an hour or so before bedtime so they have time to sort through, trade and organize their candy. Offering a snack of popcorn, apple slices or another healthy option may help keep candy-munching to a minimum.

With all of the excitement in the air, the nighttime routine might take a bit longer than usual. Make sure the kids scrub off any face paint and brush those teeth well before climbing into bed and heading off to Halloween dreamland!

Halloween Cookie Upgrades

Halloween Cookie Upgrades

Christmas cookies may get all the attention, but you can up the cookie ante for Halloween with these creative store-bought cookie dough hacks.

Bake sugar dough cookie rounds, then spread cooled cookies with white frosting. Use a black icing tube to outline a ghost shape and add eyes and a spooky mouth.

Cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies can be pressed lightly into sugar cookie dough rounds just after they are pulled from the oven. Transform the sandwich cookies into spiders by using black icing gel to draw spider legs on each.

Bake sugar or chocolate chip cookie dough into rounds, then spread to cover with white frosting. Add two chocolate chip “eyes” to each, then blanket with shredded coconut to resemble a mummy.

Unwrap and cut fun-size candy bars in half, then wrap each half in a cookie dough round. Bake as directed on package for a trick-or-treat surprise!

Portion cookie dough into tablespoon-size rounds, then place each in the cup of a greased miniature muffin pan. Bake 15 minutes or until dough is baked through. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Decorate mini muffins with small candies and icing to create bug-like creepy cookie bites.

Halloween Table Spread

Halloween Table Spread

Inviting friends over for Halloween makes this kid-friendly holiday accessible to all ages.

Your party can be the central focus of your evening, or invite families over for food and fun before heading out together to canvas the neighborhood for trick-or-treats.

As hostess, you can offer a spooky spread. Cover the table with an orange or black tablecloth, then scatter with Halloween-themed confetti. (DIY it by using a hole punch on black and orange construction paper.) Shop for Halloween dishes and fill with chips, popcorn and other snacks. Don’t forget to toss candy corn and/or candy-coated chocolate candies in with these salty snacks. You can also drop a piece of candy corn into each finger of a clear plastic glove, then fill the glove completely with popcorn. Tie the “wrists” of these hands with a rubber band or twist tie and place randomly around other snacks on the serving table.

Orange soda makes a simple and festive beverage offering, but you can also make a monster of a punch by combining 1 quart unsweetened pineapple juice, 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, 1 liter seltzer water and 1 quart softened lime sherbet. Float a few scoops of the sherbet on top of the punch bowl for an eerie slime-like look. Serve in orange and black cups along with same-color striped paper straws. Keep the punch cold with ice cubes made by pouring water into ice-cube trays that have been loaded with a (well-washed) plastic spider ring in each hole.

Party favors will depend on age of your guests, but glow sticks, necklaces, bracelets and the like are a safe bet for anyone on Halloween eve. You can also wrap a few small pieces of candy in a round of orange tissue paper, tying at the top with green yarn or a strip of green felt. Write guests name in black marker on the “pumpkin” face and use as place holders. Guests can tear open their pumpkin to enjoy their treats. Small orange balloons filled with candy before being blown up and tied can serve the same purpose.

An Art-y Halloween

An Art-y Halloween

Make Halloween about more than just the candy with these fun Halloween crafts.

1. Paper Plate Spiderwebs

Paper plate spiderwebs may just bring you back to grade school days. This is an especially good project for a crowd, making it perfect for any Halloween party.

Things You'll Need:

Paper plates, large or small

Orange and/or black yarn

Clear tape and/or stick pins

Plastic spider rings

Directions:

If you have multiple kids making webs, have them write their names on their plates so they’ll be able to find the right one when the party ends.

Cut long strings of yarn and attach to the plate, web-style, with tape. (Pins also work, but you’ll need an adult to bend the backs in and tape down the sharp points well so no one gets a finger pricked.)

When the web is formed, affix spiders to the web using tape.

2. Trick-or-treat Buckets

Trick-or-treat buckets are so much fun and easy to make!

An ice cream pail can easily be wrapped in felt or another material, using fabric glue to attach. Decorate with additional fabric, fabric paint or fabric markers. Options are endless: think ghosts, monster faces, mummies and jack-o-lanterns. Or use patterned fabric, then cut out solid-color letters to label with names or fun Halloween phrases (“Boo!”, “Trick-or-Treat!”, etc.). Use the plastic handle attached to the pail or replace or reinforce with a sturdy length of rope.

3. Trick-or-treat Bags

Trick-or-treat bags made with duct tape are hearty enough to hold huge loads of candy!

Things You'll Need:

Black duct tape

Halloween-patterned duct tape

Sharp scissors

Directions:

Cut about seven lengths of black duct tape to twice the desired height of your bag. Lay these strips of black duct tape upside-down and side-by-side on a work surface.

Cut patterned tape lengths to extend the full width of the black tape. Place sticky-side-down and side-by-side to cover all of the black tape. Lay the patterned tape perpendicular to the black tape. The solid black will become the bag’s inside and the patterned the outside.

Trim all edges with scissors, then fold the rectangle in half to form the bag.

Seal the side edges with additional duct tape, pressing the corners inside the bag at an angle to miter them. Pieces of duct tape fastened across the inside corners of the bag will help press the tape down and hold the bag’s shape.

Attach a strip of black duct tape around the top of the bag to add contrast and hold the two shorter carrying handles. Each handle is made from two pieces of duct tape, back-to-back, which are attached to the inside of the bag.

Creatively Kit Kat

Creatively Kit Kat

Make your snack-size candy more than Halloween trick-or-treats by trying any of the following with Kit Kat’s new limited-edition pumpkin pie flavor.

Separate each bar into two sticks, then dip sticks in melted white candy coating. Let coating harden by placing sticks on a baking rack or sheet of waxed paper. Add two eyes with black decorating icing at the top end of each to make ghosts or mummies.

Place a snack-size Kit Kat flat-side-up for a smooth rectangular surface, easily transformed into a Jack-o-lantern face. Use black icing to make eyes, nose and mouth and green for the pumpkin stem. You can also dip the entire candy bar in melted white candy coating and after it sets, decorate the flat side to resemble the face of Dracula, Frankenstein or any other Halloween “monster.”

If you’re entertaining at a Halloween party, make edible place cards/party favors by dipping the Kit Kat in melted candy coating as directed above, then writing guests’ names on the flat side.

Separate candy bars into single sticks and insert a large marshmallow onto one end of each. Decorate the marshmallow to resemble the face of a Halloween monster, ghost or witch. Stick these Kit Kat lollies into cupcakes or enjoy as-is.

Frost a 13”x9”-inch cake with green and shades of gray to resemble a spooky graveyard. Use candies to transform the cake’s surface into a sea of tombstones, ghouls and goblins. Snack-size Kit Kats make perfect tombstones: Cut whole candy bar in half horizontally so wafers are still attached. Use decorating icing to write “RIP” or other tombstone-worthy phrases on the back side and place on frosted cake to mark graves.

This one is especially fun for little kids to assemble themselves: Separate candy bars into wafer sticks and create a scarecrow on a plate or platter using one stick for the body, two for legs and half-sticks for arms. Decorate a round vanilla sandwich cookie with a face for the head. Use decorating icing and small candies to give your scarecrow a hat, clothes and straw sticking out of the pants and shirt openings.